90-hour work week debate: Narayana Murthy enjoys match on Sunday, netizens say ‘dream for L&T Chairman’

Indian IT major Infosys' co-founder N. R. Narayana Murthy was spotted at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium watching the India vs England T20 match, which sparked a debate on social media amid the ongoing 90-hour work week argument. 

People on social media started sharing edited memes as the post of Murthy sitting at the stands in Wankhede went viral. Other important figures from the world of business and politics, like Rajeev Shukla, Mukesh Ambani, and Akash Ambani, were also sitting next to Murthy.

Former Prime Minister of Britain Rishi Sunak and British businessman Manoj Badale also attended the event on Sunday.

Netizens Share Memes on X

People on social media started sharing memes and posts about Narayana Murthy's visit to watch the match on Sunday amid the ongoing 90-hour work week debate.

“Narayana Murthy enjoying his life on a Sunday evening. Dream for L&T Chairman,” said a social media handle named Trendulkar, which has 1.2 million followers on the platform X.

Others shared memes about Infosys employees calling out Narayana Murthy and advising them to work for long hours and then enjoy a match on a Sunday. 

Some netizens on social media called this a rare sight for Narayana Murthy not working on a weekend. “Also, a rare sight of Narayan Murthy not working on a Sunday,” said Vinesh Prabhu in his post on X. 

Aniruddha Nayak shared a meme which says Narayana Murthy be like  “Meri taraf aise kya dekh raha hai... 70 hours work week khatam karke damad ke sath match dekhne aya hun” (What are you looking at me for? I have finished my 70-hour work week and now I am attending a match with my son-in-law). 

Work-life balance debate 

Narayana Murthy's comments on the 70-hour work week started India's work-life balance and working hour debate. Since then, executives from around the world have shared their take on this corporate culture discussion. 

The latest big statement about the working hour debate came from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman SN Subrahmanyan, who said he regrets not making people work on their weekends. 

“I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy because I work on Sundays,” said Subrahmanyan, supporting his 90-hour workweek narrative. 

People have used social media to vent their frustration since these comments went viral and sparked major debate, which is raging to date with both sides having strong opinions.